Paranoid Park

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Paranoid Park ★★½ 2007 (R)

A security guard is murdered at Portland, Oregon's famous skater hangout, Paranoid Park, and police hone in on high school student Alex (Nevins) as a suspect. But that's just one of Alex's problems; he has schoolwork, his girlfriend (Momsen), his social life, and the fallout of his parents' divorce to deal with as well. As the investigation continues, the pieces fall into place both for viewers and for Alex, who finds his own outlets to cope with the consequences of his actions. Clean 35-millimeter is interspersed with grainy Super-8 footage of Alex and friends at the skate park, and a mostly newcomer cast is a plus, giving the teen characters a natural, easy credibility. But with its dark, ambivalent tone, it's hardly the usual teen skating flick. 90m/C DVD . US Taylor Momsen, Scott Green, Gabe Nevins, Lauren McKinney, Jake Miller, Richard Lu; D: Gus Van Sant; W: Gus Van Sant; C: Christopher Doyle, Rain Kathy Li.